Case Study:Holmes Plumbing and Heating Supply

"Switching to Inform was one of the company’s best decisions ever made. We have so much more control over what we had before."

To thrive in the plumbing and heating supply business for more than 50 years, you can’t be complacent. You must stay on top of technology and make sure you’re providing your customers with best-in-class solutions at competitive prices. Holmes Plumbing and Heating Supply Company has done just that by leveraging Inform ERP Software.

Jeff Johnson, General Manager of Holmes Plumbing and Heating Supply Company, openly admits that he’s a little bit "old-school" when it comes to how he conducts business. Though you might still see him taking meeting notes with a pen and paper, that doesn’t stop him from pushing his team to stay up-todate on the latest technology. Jeff knows that in order to stay competitive, the type of technology you use can make a big difference between a good year and closing the doors.

"If you want to be successful in this business, you can’t sit back and rest on your laurels at all," he said. "You have to be forward thinking. But you also need to put systems in place that are easy for people to use—or they won’t use it."

Buying Group Members Lead the Way

When it came time to implement an end-to-end ERP solution, Jeff wanted a proven product. He had heard plenty of sales pitches, but he wanted a solution that had been tested and worked in businesses similar to his own. As a member of several buying groups, including BLUE HAWK and LPG, he looked to fellow member businesses to see what they were using.

"When we were evaluating ERP platforms, we relied heavily upon the feedback and experiences from other members in our buying groups," Jeff said. "The best of the best (in my opinion) was using DDI, and for that reason alone, we knew we had to take a look."